Category: Video & Movie

220,000 postcards were used with 30 and 60 second TV spots on east coast, 1986-1990

Cover picture for our video documentary Reef Safari (1984) featured a whaler shark caught off Hawaii in 1970. Merle Hawkins looks like a close stand-in for Christine Danaher who was my featured underwater model from 1983 onwards.

Reef Safari and Sea Safari were made using super8 film and therefore could never be shown in theatres. Both had limited release for home video.

The first of two films made exclusively for home video. Some dive shops used this one for teaching scuba.

‘Pierre’ wore a bright red wet suit thought to have been used in the James Bond movie Thunderball, just recently completed in Florida.

Most of the diving and motion picture equipment had been purchased from that movie lot, which guaranteed professional quality. But making interesting and informative films requires more than good equipment the project was to later learn.

The son of a Belgian university director had obtained an incredible budget to make educational films underwater on the Great Barrier Reef, with the help of an entire crew of a navy ship.

Occurring at a time when media interest in marine matters was still in the dark ages, therefore it went largely un-reported, yet it was and still is the most extensive single scientific survey of the Great Barrier Reef, ever.

The Belgian Navy had hired to the expedition this former British warship re-named De Moor. With a crew of 75 plus guests and Australian Ron Taylor filming in 35mm motion picture film for seven months.

Locations between Lady Musgrave and Lizard Island, at a time when few people knew these waters underwater.

Captain Wally Muller (formerly of Riversong – a fishing boat, and now Careelah a charter boat) was contracted to guide the De Moor through the largely uncharted waters of The Swain Reefs, and remain with the expedition as a support ship for the entire duration.

The pattern was ten days at sea, four days ashore. Noted coral reef scientists were invited to join along the way. Three were to be participants with Project Stellaroid (a major survey of starfish eating coral reefs in the North Pacific)HQ’d at Guamin 1969. ScientistsDave Barnes, Robert Endean and myself – a photographer.

(My involvement with the Belgian Expedition was as a deckhand, therefore a great time was enjoyed with friendship and positive memories. A major lesson learned would be: How too many people underwater handicap projects as various mishaps occur and require attention).

Corals scientist, David Barnes of Townsville travelled back to the UK aboard this ship and was aboard for eight months or so.

Giving our boat a tow seemed a good fuel saving idea but the effort wrecked Careelah’s gear box. We limped into Port Douglas for repairs and over the next seven or more days discovered a sleepy town that would eventually become the up-market tourist retreat of North Queensland. The contrast between then and now is both interesting and mildly disappointing. Kay Overell (pictured) was our diving friend from Sydney.

In background on left is Robert Pearson who was to work with crown-of-thorns starfish problems, later. Corrine was Pierre’s girl from Belgium who spoke little English. Later were later married.

Chief engineer and No.2 in command was Jules, a pleasant and popular man known by the name above. The Captain was Charles and the interesting story there was after retiring from the navy Charles had the personal satisfaction of seeing his son rise to become ‘Commander’ (or whatever the correct title is) of the Belgian Navy.